Apparatus for treating oils



May 28, 1929. w. R. HOWARD APPARATUS FOR TREATING OILS Original Filed Sept. 13. 1922 Patented May 28, 1929.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

WILLIAM R. HOWARD, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, Assrcnon 'ro UNIVERSAL oI'I. rnonocrs COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or soon: DAKOTA.

Arr nA'rUs I on TREATING oILs.

Original application fi1ed September 13, 1922, Serial No. 587,919. Divided and this application filed March 31, 1924. Serial 110. 703,013. Renewed June 2, 1927. i

This application is a divisional of an application filed by me September 13th, 1922, as Serial No. 587,919. I

This invention relates to improvements in 5 an apparatus for treating oils, and refers more particularly to an apparatus adapted for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbon liquids into lighter and more volatile oils, suitable for the production of gasoline-and the like.

In carrying out this invention, the oil may be passed first through a heating zone and then introduced into a compartment or receptacle in an expansion-chamber, where vaporization takes place and in which receptacle, the residue is collected. The vapors ma be then subjected toa dephlegmating action and the reflux condensate returned to the expansion chamber for further treatment,

but out of contact with the residue. In'carrying out the invention, pressure may be maintained on the entire system,or on such parts as desired. Also, if desired, the residue may be Withdrawn from the receptacle In the expansion chamber, and distilled at a lower or atmospheric pressure. p

It is well known to those skilled in the treatment of hydrocarbon oils, that mixing the reflux condensate with the residuum, andretreating it, produces a residuum which is unfit for the production therefrom ofasphalt or lubricating stock, due to the loss of viscosity. By withdrawing the residue cont nuously from the expansion chamber, as shown,

and subjecting it to distillation either under its latent heat or under a higher heat, I can produce lubricating oils or asphalts which are properly viscous and in great demand.

The single figure in the drawing is a view,

partly in side elevation, and partly 1n vertical section, of an apparatus for carrylng out -my process. I

Referring more in detail to the drawing,

1 designates the raw oil inlet hne, provlded with valve"2, and pump 3 for forcing the raw oil into the system. The raw 011 s pumped to the inlet end of the heat1ng coil 4, which; heatingcoil may c0ns1st of a continuous coil ofsay.3" pipe, seated 1n furnace 5. The furnace 5 may be heated by means of the burner 6 in the usual manner and is provided with the stack 7. The oil, after being heated in the heating coil to a conversion temperature, is passed through the transfer line 8, regulated by the valve 9, to a pan or open topped container 10 suspended in an enlarged expansion chamber 11. This panis prefer ably of such size proportionate to the size of the expansion chamber that it will have a capacity to hold the heated oil introduced from the heating coils 'for a period of time.

sufficient to allow maximum vaporization.

Vaporization takes place in this pan; the va-,

pors 'being drawn off through the line 12, provided with the valve 13, to a dephl'egmator 14, where part of the vapors will condense and fall back through the line 12. The uncondensed vapors and incondensablegas, after passing through the dephlegmator are forced to a condenser 15, where they are condensed and passed to receiver 16. The receiver 16 is equipped with pressure gauge 17, liquid level gauge '18, gas outlet pipe 19, controlled" by valve 20, and distillate drawoff pipe 21, controlled by valve 22.

The condensate formed in the dephlegmator, as above set forth, returns through the line 12 to a point in the expansion chamber proper and falls to the bottom thereof.

. apparatus.

As a feature of the invention, I,provide a residue drawoff pipe 27, controlled b the valve 28, direct-connected to the pan 10 in the expansion chamber. This residue drawofi pipe connects to a still 29, of the usual type, seated in the furnace 30, and heated by means of theburner 31. If it is desired'to use steam, it-may be introduced under ressure from any extraneous source throng the p1pe 32, controlled by the valve 33, to a erforated pipe 34, mounted in the still. he still is provided with vapor pipe 35 leading to any suitable condenser and receivenand also with residue drawofi' pipe 36, provlded with the valve 37, leading either to a point of storage outside of the system or back to the heating coils for further treatment, as desired.

One method of operating my process may be as follows: I pump raw oil into the heating coil 4 and heat it to a cracking or conversion temperature, of say, 750 F. The oil, after being raised to this cracking temperature, passes to the pan 10, in the expansion chambar, where upon being released from the small pipe, will vaporize, the vapors passmg'up through the pipe 12, where they will be subjected to dephlegmation and condensation and finally collected as described. The condensate'collecting in the dephlegmator will be returned to the expansion chamber for further treatment. The expansion chamber may be maintained at the same heat as the heating coil or raised to a higher temperature by I 'means of additional burners 40. The sides and bottom or either may be enclosed by the combustion chamber so that the flue gases from the heating coils or those generated by the additional burners will pass around the expansion chamber on their way to the stack.

This higher temperature will serve to vaporize more or less of the reflux condensate returned to the expansion chamber, thus increasing the final yield of light products. It

will be understood that the entire system, from thepump 3 to the receiver 16, may be maintained under a uniform pressure of the generated vapors, controlled by the valve 20 on the outlet side of the receiver. The residue, remaining in the pan 10 is drawn oil through the'pipe 27, to the still 29, the pres-.

sure being reduced to atmospheric by means of the pressure reducing valve 28. This reduction in pressure will cause an immediate vaporization of alarge part of this residue,

the Vapors being drawn off through the pipe 35 and condensed and collected in a well known manner, The portion which does not vaporize bythe latent heat therein contained,

aided by. the reduction in pressure, thus reducing 1ts boiling point, may be subjected to further heat in the still 29 and in addition, subjected to the agitating action of steam and distilled, if desirable, to coke, the

vapors being continuously drawn ofl. Or it may be drawn ofl and returned to the heating coils for further-treatment.

By drawing off my residue and keeping it separate from the reflux condensate by means ofthe pan 10, I avoid making the oil unfitfor producing lubricating stock or asphalt, and in addition, I distill it all as part of a continuous operation.- It will be seen that there will be little or no waste of heat units by radiation in the residuum, being continuously drawn off from the pan 10, through the pipe 27. It

will also be noted that I have a complete cycle of the residuum oil without admixture of reflux. The reflux is returned to .the bottom of the expansion chamber where it may be heated to a higher temperature as described. An:

other advantage of the positioning of the pan in the expansion chamber is the fact that the preheated oil dies not come in direct contact with the heated surface of. the expansion chamber.

The process may be operated'under a uniform pressure of from fifty to several hundred pounds, the pressure being reduced to atmospheric, subsequent to cracking, by means of the reducing valve 28 ,-or difi'erential pressures may be used in th'e'cracking process, for example, a pressure of 500 pounds on the heating coil, 300 pounds on the ex pansion chamber, 200 pounds on the dephlegmator and 100 pounds on the condenser and receiver. The same temperature may be used throughout the cracking process or'a higher temperature maintained on the expansion chamber than on the heating coil. 9

By operating the process as first described, under a uniform pressure of say, 125 pounds in thecracking process, and distilling at atmospheric pressure, without additional heat, other than the latent heat in the residuum, and using a gas oil from the Mid-Continent field of say, 30 Baum, a yield of from 30% to 65% of commercial Navy specification gasoline can be obtained. The residuum is continuously drawn OE and distilled in the,- still 29 at atmospheric pressure. 7

I claim as my invention: 1. An apparatusfor-treating hydrocarbon oil, comprising means for heating anadvancing stream of oil to a cracking temperature, an enlarged reaction zone, means for passing I heated oil from said stream to a compartment within said enlarged reaction zone, dephlegmating means, means connecting said enlarged means with said reaction zone, means for 001- lecting reflux condensate in a compartment in said reaction zone out of'contact with the oil introducedthereto from the heating coil,

,mems for applying heat only to said compartmentof the reaction zone containing the reflux condensate, means for withdrawing unvaporized residual oil from said reaction zone, and means for maintaining a superatmosplieric vapor pressure on the oil undergoing treatment in the apparatus.

3. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil comprising a heating coil disposed within a furnace, a reaction chamber and dephlegmator serially connected, a partition member within said reaction chamber dividing the same into two compartments, means for admitting reflux-condensate from said dephleg- .inator to one of said compartments, means for admitting the oil from the heating coil to the other of said compartments, and means for externally applying heat from the furnace to the, compartment to which the reflux condensate is admitted.

4. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil comprising a heating coil disposed Within a furnace, a reaction chamber and dephleg mator seriallyconnected, a partition member within said reaction chamber dividing the same into two compartments, means for admitting reflux condensate from said dephlegmator to one of said compartments, means for admitting the oil from the heating coil to the other of said compartments, means for moving unvaporized oil constituents from each of said compartments, and means for externallyv 

